An important aspect of the present invention is the reliability of the tool. Extensible tools have been known before, e.g. in swimming pool cleaning apparatus, but unlike the present tool previously known tools have been deficient in use because of initially or subsequently inadequate locking of the tool at its desired extended length, particularly under torque loading, as occurs when a remote operating head is rotated. For example, plastic ferrules wedged between interfitting tubular members wear severely in time. The present tool is particularly well suited to use with rotating heads or drives since locking is not adversely affected by torques experienced in use. Thus, the tool may be driven by an ordinary hand operated power drill without loss of locking, and despite counter-torques that may be experienced, e.g. from lag bolts being driven by the tool which in turn is being driven by a drill.
The tool finds particular utility in the building industry, but is also useful wherever a working head, be it a cement smoothing bull float, or a swimming pool vacuum head or brush head, is applied at a distance and in a manner subjecting the tool between the operator and the head to torque forces and/or compression forces.